Shipping-barrel.



W. L, HUF?.

SHIPPING BARREL.

APPLICATION min ama. s. 191e.

1,226,814. Patented May 22,1917,

WILLIAM'V'J'. RUFF, OFVQUINCY, ILLINOIS.

SHIPPING-BARREL.

Specification vof Letters `Patent.

Patented May 22, 1917.

Application sled March s, 19de. serial No: 82,809.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. Burr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Quincy, in the county of Adams and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shipping-Barrels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a container for shipping goods and is especially useful for 'shipping goods packed in smaller containers which are to be returned when empty, such as bottled beer. The invention is eX- empliiied in the combination and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawing and described in the following specification, and it is more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. l

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a top4 plan view of a. shipping barrel embodying 'the present invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on line 2 2v of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the spring catch by means of which the removable'. barrel head is held in position. j

In the shipment of bottled goods, such as beer and like commodities, one form of container used for this purpose has been barrels of ordinary construction, but considerable difficulty has been experienced in the use of such barrels, in preserving them in suiiiciently good condition for the return of empty bottles. This is due to the fact that when the barrel is once headed up it is necessary to remove the upper hoop before the head can betaken out for the removal of the contents of the barrel. Or if the head is broken or pried out, it is rendered unsuitable for reheading the barrel after it has been filled with empties to be returned to the original shipper. Because of this diiiiculty, when barrels of ordinary construction are used, it frequently happens that the empty bottles are broken or lost and the barrel at the utmost rbecomes unt for further use after two or three shipments.

vide' a removable head which can be taken off bodily and replaced withl great ease, without injury to the barrel itself or to the head. Barrels of this description can be used over and over again and have been returned after such shipment as many as fourteen times without any material injury.

In the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the staves of a barrel provided withhoops 2, preferably made of iron or steel and beaded at one edge as at 3. As shown in Fig. 2, the staves at their upper ends are entirely without chine grooves, and the head 2 fits loosely on the inside of the barrel at the upper end thereof. A pair of'supports 4 is provided for the head 2 andthe supports are attached to the staves of the barrel and are spaced from one another fa Vdistance approXimately equal to one third'of the circumference of the barrel. These supports may be made of anysuitable material and are preferably angle brackets of iron or steel secured to the barrelby means of clench nails. A retainer bracket 5 is secured to the barrel staves at a position substantially midway between the brackets 4. The bracket 5 is positioned somewhat higher than the brackets 4 and the inwardly projecting flange 6 thereof is preferably bent downwardly, as indicated in Fig. 2 to cause the portion 6 to exert a spring pressure upon vthe upper portion of the head 2. The head itself is a unitary` circular disk and may consist of head boards 7 held together by battens 8. Diagonally opposite the spring retainer 6 is ay spring catch 9, best shown in Fig. 3. This catch 9 is provided with a support 10 to which a plate 11 is secured, which carries the catch member 12. The catch member 12 is made of spring wire supported in.upstanding lugs 13 and provided with downwardly projecting eXtensions 14 which bear against the plate 11 to force the upper end of the catch resiliently toward locking position. The catch is provided at its upper end with a hook member 15 by means of which the lid'is4 held in place. The lid is provided with an opening 16 through which the catch member 12 eX- tends, and a metal plate 17 is secured to the upper surface of the lid and has a tongue 18 punched therefrom andv bent downwardly, asshown in Fig. 2, to form an inclined surface for operating the hook portion 15 of the catch 12 when the lid is moved into closed position. The plate 16 is also provided with an upwardly struck loop 19 and a finger hold 20. The entire plate is stamped from a. single piece of sheet metal.

It will be seen from Fig. 2 of the drawing that the latch member 15 is considerably inset from the inner wall of the barrel and is spaced from'the stave to which it is secured by the supporting member 10, Fig. 3. One reason for this construction is tocompensate for the bilge of the barrel, which if the latch were connected directly to the inner-surface of the barrel wall, would bring the latch past a position in alinement with the edge of the cover 7. It is therefore necessary to inset the latch considerably in order to bring it into position to properly cooperate with the barrel cover. A second reason that makes it desirable to inset the latch a considerable distance, is the fact that the barrel head is circular in contour and hence recedes inwardly away from the latch at both sides thereof. If the opening of the latch were placed near the edge of the cover, the latch plate would lack proper support because of this fact. These two limitations for a latch for a barrel that are not found in ordinary boX latches have been overcome by the provision of the spacing memn ber 10 on which the latch is supported.

In operating the head for closing the barrel, the edge of the head opposite the plate 17 is inserted beneath the spring retainer G and the head is brought to bear on the two supports a. Because of the downwardly bent spring portion 6 ofthe cap 5, the edge of the head carrying the plate 17 will be resiliently held in a slightly upwardly inclined position and is moved downwardly into pon sition by a pressure of the hand upon this portion of the head. As the head moves downwardly, the hook 15 will be projected through the opening 16, and when the head is finally forced into closed position, the hook will spring into place to hold the head closed. If desired,A a wire 21 may be inserted through the loop 19 and between the wires of the hook 15, as shown in Fig. 1, and a lead seal 22 placed upon the wire to seal the barrel closed.

When the barrel filled with goods reaches the consignes, the seal is broken and the barrel may then be easily opened by pressing the hook 15 backwardly a suiiicient distance to release the barrel head. IVhen this is done, the spring clip 16 will cause the edge of the headv to spring upwardly a small amount, the head tilting about the supports 4- as a pivot. This makes it easy for the head to be removed intact without the use of any tools or implements whatever, and it may then be laid aside to be replaced when the barrel is refilled with empties to be sent back to the shipper.

I claim:

1. In combination, a barrel having one end thereof open, a closure for said barrel of a size to pass freely into and out of the opening in the end thereof while said opening is maintained at its normal contracted size, and means permanently secured to said barrel for retaining said closure in position to close said opening, said means being operable to permit removal of said closure while remaining attached to said barrel.

2. Incombination, a barrel having one end thereof open, a closure for said barrel of a size to pass freely into and out of position to close the opening in the end thereof while said opening is maintained at its normal contracted size, means for holding said closure in position to close the opening in the end of saidbarrel, and means for automatically locking said closure when moved into closed position.

8. In combination, a barrel having one end thereof open, a unitary closure for said opening of a size and shape to pass freely into and out of said opening, supports for holding said closure in position to close said opening, and a spring catch for automatically locking said closure when moved into said position.

4L. In a container for shipping merchandise, a removable cover arranged to iit within an opening in said container, a pair of spaced supports for said cover, and means for engaging the outer surfaces of said cover at points intermediate said supports, to retain said cover in position to close said opening, vsaid cover being free to move inwardly intermediate said supports when said cover is freed from one of said engaging means.

5. In a container for shipping merchandise, a removable cover arranged to fit within an opening in said container, a pair of spaced supports secured to the interior of the walls of said container and arranged to engage the inner surface of saideover to hold said cover in closed position, a retainer for said cover secured to said container and arranged to engage the outer surface of said cover at a point intermediate said supports, and a latch for engaging said cover at a point opposite said retainer to hold said cover in closed position.

6. InY combination, a barrel having an open end, supporting brackets secured to the sides of said barrel adjacent said open end and angularly spaced apart from one another a distance approximately equal to one third of the circumference of said barrel, a cover arranged to rest on said supports, and having its inner surface unsupported intermediate said supports, and means for engaging said cover at points on opposite sides of a line joining said supports, to hold said cover in position to close said barrel.

7. In combination, a barrel having an open end, hoops surrounding said barrel and arranged to hold the staves thereof permanently in fixed position, a closure for said barrel of a size to move into and out of position to close one end thereof without eX- erting pressure on said staves and hoops cover for said barrel arranged to rest upon said supports, and a retainer for said cover arranged to exert yielding pressure on said cover at a point intermediate said supports.

9. In combination, a barrel having one end thereof open, a cover for closing said open end, spaced supports for said'cover arranged to engage the inner surface thereof and to form a fulcrum abo-ut which said cover may turn, resilient means for holding said cover at one side of said fulcrum, and

a catch for holding said cover at the opposite side of said fulcrum.

10. A barrel for shipping merchandise, having one end thereof open, a cover for said barrel, fulcrum brackets for supporting said cover, yielding means arranged to contact with said cover at one side of said brackets, and arranged to tilt said side of said cover slightly inwardly, and a catch for engaging the opposite side of said cover and arranged to hold said cover in closed position against the tension of said resilient means.

11. In combination, a barrel for shipping merchandise, a unitary closure for said barrel separate therefrom and arranged to move bodily into and out of closing position, releasable means for holding said cover in closed position within the opening in said barrel, and means for sealing said releasable means to prevent unauthorized opening of said barrel.

12. In combination, a barrel for shipping merchandise, having an open end, a unitary cover separate from said barrel and movable freely into and out of position to close said end, means for supporting said cover in closed position within said open end, a catch for retaining said cover in closed position, and a seal for said catch arranged to prevent unauthorized opening of said barrel.

13. In combination, a barrel having staves, and hoops permanently assembled in fixed relation to one another and having one end thereof open, a unitary cover for closing said open end, a pair of spaced fulcrum supports for supporting said cover, a yielding clip arranged to engage the outer surface of said cover at one side of said fulcrum supports, an opening through said cover at the side thereof opposite said yielding means, a plate secured to the outer surface of said cover and having an opening therethrough registering with the opening through said cover, and a spring catch secured to the interior of said barrel and arranged to project through said opening and to automatically engage said plate to hold said cover in closed position when said cover is moved into such position.

14. In a barrel having its sides provided with a bilge, a cover for said barrel, a latch for holding said cover in place, and a support for said latch arranged to position said latch inwardly away from the inner surface of the sides of the said barrel.

15. In combination, a barrel provided with bilging sides, a head for closing said barrel, a latch for holding said head in closed position, and a support for said latch secured to the inner surface of the walls of said barrel at a position inwardly disposed relative to the head of the barrel when closed and arranged to hold said head in closed position.

1G. In combination, a barrel having a circular head, a latch for holding said head in position, means for spacing said latch inwardly from the inner surface of the sides of said barrel, and means secured to said head at a position spaced from the edge thereof for coperating with said latch to hold said head in closed position.

17. In combination, a barrel having bilging sides and a circular removable head, a latch forholding said head in closed position, means for securing said latch to the inner surface of the wall of said barrel and spaced inwardly from said wall when said head is closed, said means being arranged to space said latch inwardly toward the center of said barrel away from the side thereof, said head being provided with an opening therethrough at a position removed from the edge thereof, and a latch plate secured to said head and registering with said opening and arranged to coperate with said latch to hold said head in closed position.

Intestimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, on this 4th day of March A. D. 1916.

WILLIAM J. RUFF.

Copies o1 this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. C.

ioo 

